Farooq, Naidu and Mahanta form National Front

National Conference leader
and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today announced the setting
up of a new National Front comprising the NC, Telugu Desam Party
and the Asom Gana Parishad.

Announcing this at a press conference in Jammu, Dr Abdullah said the
Front would pursue politics of consensus and give issue-based
support to the central government.

Dr Abdullah said he was in touch with Naidu and Mahanta, and
that they would meet in Delhi shortly to discuss their future course
on this issue.

He said he would take a
decision regarding the confidence motion of the BJP-led government
on March 27, only after proper consultations with Naidu and
Mahanta. However, he made it clear that the National Conference
would extend support to any government at the Centre which protected the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as the state was
dependent on the Centre in all fields.

Dr Abdullah said the Congress was pressurising P A Sangma
to contest for the Speaker's post while Naidu was bent on a United Front candidate for the post. Owing to differences over the issue
Naidu deliberated with the BJP and agreed on a TDP consensus
candidate, he said.

''Our point of view was that if there
was no consensus on the Congress candidate, let it be from the TDP
which was part of the United Front'', he said.

However, since the TDP candidature did not find support
from the United Front, the TDP resigned from the UF and its
candidate G M C Balayogi filed his nomination for the post, with
the BJP and its allies supporting his candidature. Likewise, the
National Conference has also decided to support him.

On the issue of support to the BJP government at the Centre, Dr
Abdullah said he would consult the NC working committee as
well as leaders of the newly-formed front. He, however, said his
party did not believe in dislodging any government and will extend
issue-based support to any government at the Centre.

The National Conference has two members in the twelfth Lok Sabha.
Of the six Lok Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, the election
process has be been completed in only four parliamentary constituencies.
National Conference candidate Umar Farooq, Dr
Abdullah's son, won the Srinagar seat while former Union minister
Saifuddin Soz won from Baramullah.

Anantnag was won by Congress
candidate and former Union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the
Jammu seat was bagged by BJP candidate Vaid Vishnu Dutt.

Polling in Udhampur was held on
March 18, and the date of counting has not been declared so
far. The Election Commission has ordered completion of the election
process in Udhampur by April 15.